The popularity and influence of social networks should be apparent to any marketing team. A brand with a large digital fan base has the ability to draw influence from it, and communicate with a wide range of internet users at the click of a button. This may lead brands to use paid services to help catch up with their competitors. However, brands shouldn’t automatically resort to paid promotion immediately, as organic campaigns can reap similar, if not more benefits.

Twitter’s continued push into commercial paid services, as seen with the release of the “Promoted Trending Topics” feature, offers businesses and brands new means by which to extend brand awareness. Although sounding appealing, brands have to be wary; it can’t be assumed that throwing money at a marketing project like this will automatically generate success. Below are a few key benefits to utilising organic engagement as an alternative on social networks:

Cost –One of the key benefits to organic engagement on social media is the cost. Organic methods allow a brand to spend a minimum amount when targeting its desired audience. Paid promotion often comes at a hefty price, and the likelihood is start ups and smaller brands may not be able to afford the price tag associated with paid promotion.

Longevity – Organic engagement is advisable as it has the potential to last for a prolonged period of time. Organic campaigns can be altered and changed as the brand wishes, depending on the success achieved. This may progress at a slower rate than it would through paying, but this allows the brand to test the water and determine the best way to continue. Paid promotion may bring in new fans at a greater rate, but if the brand fails to maintain a similar level of communication, fans may begin to leave and new fan figures may drop significantly.

Target Suitable Audience – Organic engagement through social networks enables a brand to specifically target its chosen audience. Although a slower process than paid promotion, this allows the brand to target specific groups of people to deliver more refined and desirable results. In contrast, brands employing blanket paid promotion tactics may find they receive negative feedback, possibly through trying to connect with users not interested with the services they offer, or perhaps causing annoyance with persistent sponsored messages.

Although it may appear more fruitful for businesses to incorporate paid commercial services, organic means of customer engagement can’t be forgotten to ensure a wide-range of customers are targeted. Social networks have proven popular as they have the ability for the user to choose who they want to follow based on how much the brand appeals to them. A few days of extensive promotion are likely to prove less prolific than a drawn-out, organic campaign that looks to appeal to users’ emotions and opinions.